May 2013 issue
Outstanding staff recognised at annual Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
A marine science research team which engaged diving groups to become citizen scientists to improve coastal management practices has received the Southern Cross University Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Community Engagement. Associate Professor Stephen Smith and Mr Bob Edgar from the National Marine Science Centre, based at Coffs Harbour, were among the winners at the [...]
Excellence in the arts
“Regional arts should and could be claiming a larger slice of the funding pie, more corporate support, claiming more kudos and bigger audiences for our work,” according to Lindy Hume, artistic director of Opera Queensland and the guest speaker at the Southern Cross University Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. In her speech, Ms Hume spoke passionately [...]
Students jump at graduation
A Thai midwife was one of three students who received their PhD at Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast graduation ceremony at the Tweed Heads Civic Centre on Saturday May 18. Peeranan Wisanskoonwong, who works at Navamindradhiraj University, received her PhD along with business researchers Robbert Kivits and Yongqing Li. (Read more about Peeranan.) Peeranan’s supervisor, Professor [...]
SCU graduate mixes music of famous musicians
From living on an 80-acre block of trees and kangaroos with his ‘hippie-esque parents’ near Grafton to mixing music for famous musicians in Los Angeles, life for Southern Cross University graduate Luke Gerard Webb couldn’t be more different. After graduating with a Bachelor of Contemporary Music in 2002, he’s packed a lifetime of achievement into [...]
Could you be this year’s Alumnus of the Year?
A deputy director-general of schools, a chief executive officer of a club, an innovative environmentalist and a campaigner for Indigenous women’s rights have all been past winners of the Southern Cross University Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award and now it’s time to nominate for the 2013 awards. Last year Gregory Prior, deputy director-general, schools [...]
Continue reading...SCU looks to link with Thai midwives
Southern Cross University’s popular midwifery program is reaching out to Thailand to help introduce a new style of birthing to the Asian country. Four academics – Associate Professor Waroonwun Phakoat, Dr Sumitta Sawangtook, Bangon Siriburanapanont and Parichart Thano – from Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, visited the Gold Coast campus in late April. They were hosted by [...]
Continue reading...How do austerity measures impact regional Australia?
Austerity has become the by-word since the global financial crisis as governments across the world cut-back spending on services, but how do austerity measures in Australia impact on regional areas? Researchers from Southern Cross University, Dr Subas Dhakal and Professor Robyn Keast, are trying to identify the factors that contribute to regional resilience using the [...]
Continue reading...Students learn to engineer spaghetti bridges
Armed with packets of spaghetti and tubes of super glue, the University’s first cohort of civil engineering students had the right ingredients to make their first structure: a bridge. The students came together in 12 teams to design and build their bridges before testing them out recently in a purpose-built test facility. Civil engineering course coordinator [...]
Continue reading...From waitress to uni role model: mum gets a degree
Southern Cross University graduate Tanietta de Launey is testament to the life-changing possibilities of education. The former waitress decided she wanted a better life for herself and her four teenagers when she embarked on an Indigenous Studies degree, majoring in Trauma and Healing, six years ago, at the University’s Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples. [...]
Continue reading...Postcard to home: Rafael Castro
Rafael was born in the city of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its population is about 500,000 but the place he’s been calling home for the last four years is the city of Rio de Janeiro. After Rafael received his Bachelor degree in tourism, he moved to Rio to study [...]
Continue reading...Meet the staff: Dr Erica Wilson
What is your name? Dr Erica Wilson What is your job? Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. Mother of two children: Maya (seven years) and Solomon (four years). What’s the best thing about your job? Well, being a tourism academic is definitely interesting! Although I always say that [...]
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